The winner: Audrey Hannifin, Denver
The smokestack is actually in Smeltertown, aptly named because that is what they did there. The smokestack was built to replace two smaller smokestacks, and when it was finished in 1917 was the tallest in the world. Its base is made with a concrete foundation 30 feet into the ground. It is now a Superfund site contaminated with heavy metals like lead, arsenic and also creosote. In 1976, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. I have been inside the smokestack, which is no longer allowed, and believe me, it is enormous. To look up toward the top of the stack, it seems endless and it is truly amazing. Whenever I return to Salida, I always know that I am home when I see the smokestack.
On a clear day: Mark Patton, Aurora
It is a photo of the old Ohio and Colorado Smelting and Refining Co. Smokestack. Just last weekend took a photo of it myself on a Civil Air Patrol mountain training flight!
Fool’s errand: Karen Morrison, Farmington, N.M.
The 365-foot Smeltertown smokestack was the first thing I noticed driving into Salida in 1978 for my first year as a teacher at Salida High School. Rumor has it that a gold coin is embedded in the mortar at the top, prompting many foolhardy souls to attempt a climb over the years.
